when superstorm sandy struck just last month, 120 soldiers from delaware traveled with heavy equipment to assist in recovery efforts in new york and new jersey. when hurricane katrina devastated new orleans in 2005, two of our c-130 aircraft left from new castle airport the next day, carrying the first of what would be 400 troops from delaware who assisted with gulf coast recovery. the national guard is resourceful, ready to serve and they go everywhere they're called. these are truly citizen soldiers. when i was the county executive of new castle county, delaware, we had as many as seven different county employees at different times deployed overseas, many of them police officers, called up for their national guard service, folks who are the epitome of serving at home and serving abroad. so it's with a very personal sense of the needs and the challenges when i thank those employers who recognize that even when they are not at their desks, even when they are not contributing to their employer, our national guard members are making a vital contribution to our community and to our countr